Mechanical counting device



MarCh 1931. F. w. DwYr-:R 1,795,085

MECHANICAL COUNTING DEVICE Filed April 15. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3h32 221 J i:

March 3, 1931. F. w. DWYER MECHANICAL coUNTING DEVICE Filed' April l5, 1929 Z'Sheetsv-Sheet 2 Zw/D6 W Pny/rar Patented Mar. 3, 1931 FRANK W.DWYER', 0F

OA-K PARK, ILLINOIS MECHANICAL COUNTING DEVICE Substitute forapplication Serial N'o. 339,787, -fle'd February 14, 1929. Thisapplication filed April 15, 1929.

Serial No.

The invention relates to counting devices of the type comprising aplurality of numeral wheels, eachhaving the ten digits inscribed on itsperiphery, with means for'turnl ing the wheels step by step, the wheelrep-resenting the units bei ng moved at each application of power andeach kof theremaining wheels being advanced one step upon the conpl'eterotation of its neighbor to the right; andthe principal `object of theinvention is'to provide improved and simple mean'sfor turning thenumeral wheels Another object of the invention is the provision of newand improved' means ior preventing overthrow ofratchet wheels duringtheir advance movement,

A further object oi?A the invention is the provision of a new andimproved counting. deviee'that is cheap to manufacture, easilyassembled', simple in construction, composed of a minimum number ofparts, and that is strong and durable.

Other andv further objects and advantages ot the invention will appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a `section view on the yline 1 1 of Fis 2;f

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the mechanism ot the device, the casing beingshown in plan section;

Fig.v 2l a side elevation otono olf the clementsA ol" the mechanism Fig.4i is a= rear elevation ot one pusher paw-lsshowing a coopera-ti ng and:disc iny dotted lines;

Fig. is a section online 5-5 of Fig.

ot the ratchet o showing a modified forml of construction g.

Fig. 6 is a sect-ion `on vbroken line 6-G F 5;

Fig. 7 is a side-elevation of aY portion of the operating mechanismshowing the pawls in advanced position for operatingthe ratchet` wheels;

Fig. 8 is aside eleva-tion ot' a mod-iiiedv torni of pawl operatingmechanism?,

Fig; 9i's a. view similar to 7 but showinga modified form ofconstruction;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation ofone of the discs employed in connectionwith the form of the device shown in F ig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a side elevation ot a modiiied form of actuating pawl.

For the purpose of disclosure the inventionl will lbe shown anddescribed as being embodied in counting mechanism.

This mechanism is enclosedV in a casing 10 of any desired and suitableform, this casing being provided with an observation opening 11 before'the numeral wheels. The form and arrangement of the casi-ng and itsopening are quite immaterialv to the present invention.

The numeral Wheels areI showny at 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. Their numberwill be determined, usually, by the extent to which the registration isto be carried. These wheelsy are loosely mounted upon a shaft 17, fixedor journaled in the sidewalls of the casing 10. Fixed to one of the sidefaces of each of the numeral Wheels is a ratchet wheel 18, its teeth 19being undercut as shown at 20. A pusher pawl 21 cooperates with each ofthe ratchet wheels 18. These several pawls are pivotally carried by thewrist element 22 ol a pair of crank arms 23 carried by an oscillatingshaft 24 journaled in the side Walls of the casing 10.

Suitable means are provided for holding the pawls 2l in engagement withtheir respective wheels. As shown, each ot the pawls 21 is provided witha rearwardly extending arm between which and the shaft 24 there reacts aretractile spring 26 for urging the pawl 21 against the wheel 1S withwhich is cooperates.l

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the several pawls areiexibly elastic and when thrust forward their ends engage under theoverhanging portion 27 of one of the teeth ofthe ratchet Wheel. As thewheel is turned by the advance of the pawl, its next tooth comes intoengagement with the pawl and slightly bows or ilexes it.

The friction between the pawl and the two teeth with which it is engagedprevents overthrow of the wheel, A retaining pawl 28 cooperates witheach of the ratchet wheels 18 and, as shown, consists of a leafSpringsef at the end of each advance step of the wheel.`

The shaft 24 is providedwith any suitable formof hand crank 29 by meansof which it may be oscillated. Y

While all of the pawls 21 are carried'by the Wrist element 22 andconsequently move in unison, only the one cooperating with the unitsnumeral wheel is continuously in engagement withV the ratchet wheelthereof. The other remaining pawls normally ride on the periphery of adisk 30 secured to and consequently rotating with the numeral wheel ofthe next lower denomination, and ofslightly greater diameter than theVratchet wheels.l Each of the disks 30 is provided with a peripheralrecess 31, into which the pawl riding upon the disk may enter to permititsengagement with the ratchet wheel associated with the numeral wheelof the next higher denomination. The recess 31 is so located that itprovides clearance for the pawl, to permit its engagement with theratchet wheel with which it cooperates the numeral wheel to which thedisk is attached completes a rotation.

Stops 32 and V33 limit theupward and downward movement respectively ofthe crank arms 23.

The form of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 differs from thatpreviously described in that the operating mechanism is diiierent. Inthis form of construction the unit numeral wheels 12, the tens 13 andthe hundreds 14, and the correspondingratchet wheels 13, are the same asin the previous description.

T he means for rotating the wheels comprise a rigid operating pawl 35for each ratchet wheel. l The pawl is pivotally mounted on a shaft whichin turn is oseillatably mounted as by means of the arms 37,,Lisi'xpported from the shaft 38. The pawls are so shaped at theirfreeiends as to enter the undercuts Y 2O of the ratchet teeth 19 foroperating the corresponding ratchet wheel. ilhey are held in contactwith their corresponding ratchet wheels or disks` 30 by suitableresilient means such as springs, as shown in Fig. 7,

The pawl 35 is adapted to beoscillated forwardly by any appropriatemeans as the cams or cam members 39 mounted on the rock shaft 41, andwhich areadapted te engage the arms 37 kas shownin Figs; 5 and (i. Thecams or cam members 39 may, if desired, be so constructed that thestrike member or crank 29 may be oscillated forwardly or bac {wai-diy ormay be rotated for operating the pawl. Springs 42 yieldably hold thearms 37 in contact with the cams 39 for'causing the pawls to move 1nresponse to the movement of the cams. y

Suitable means are provided for nreventin g overthrow of the ratchetwheels when the same are moved forwardlyby the pawls.

Preferably this means comprises cooperating mechanism on the wheels andpawls.

As shown, the teeth are each provided with a straight portion A13arranged on Ya chord of the ratchet wheel and the cooperating pawl isprovided with an angular end 141 'which, when the pawl is at its forwardposition., enters the undercut 2O and engages the straight edge 13 onone side and the overhang 27 on the other, whereby further forwardmovement of the pawl or of the ratchet 1 8 differs from that shown inFigs. 5, Gand 7 in that the shafty 39 is provided with antifrictionrollers 43 against which the cams 19 are adapted to engage. Y

In the form shown in Fig. 9 the operating pawls are adapted to move inthe oppositedirection from that shown in Figs. 5, 6 and?. The pawls 51are provided with hooked ends 52 which are so constructed'asto enga-gethe ratchet teeth 19 and tit into the undercuts 2O in a manner alreadydescribe-d for preventing overthrow of the ratchet wheels. In this formof construction the cams 53 engage the forward sides of the links37instead'of the rear edges thereof as in the previously describedconstruction.

Vhenthe form of pawls shown in Fig. 9 is employed, the disks 54 whichcorrespond to the'disks 30 in Figs. 1 to 8 are provided with notches 55turned opposite to the disks 30. In other words, the disks 30 must bereverse-d or turned over when the pawl construction shown in Fig. 9 isemployed. i

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 11 the pawls 56 are mounted ona bar 57 that is supported by hangers 58 whichA are resilientlyiiexible. The upper ends ofthe hangers terminate in a coiled resilientportion 59 rigidly connected to a fixed rod 61. The cams G3 will engagethe rollers 64; and force the hanger arms 58 forwardly and the resilientend 59 will hold the rollers in contact with lrelating to countingdevices, itmay be used in connection with any form of machine such asadding and calculating machines, etc., in

Of) I uio which a plurality of numeral wheels are employed and used toindicate numbers.

This is a substitute for my application Ser. No. 339,787 filed February14, 1929.

5 I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a ratchet Wheel provided with teeth, each having anoverhanging portion, a pawl for operating said Wheel, said overhangingportions being adapted to ,o engage said pawl for preventing overthrowof said Wheel, and means for operating said pziwl to rotate said Wheel.

2. In combination, a Wheel member provided with teeth, a pawl member forengag- 15 ing said teeth for rotating said Wheel, and means on one ofsaid members cooperating with the other member for preventing overthrowof said wheel member, und mea-ns for operating said pawl.

2U In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK W. DWYER.

fait

